Branding to the Top

Turquality Project provided Turkish companies with professional consultancy, financial support and all-round guidance in order to aid their branding progress in accordance with 2023 vision of Turkey.

Turquality, one of the precessors of Discover the Potential, eventually evolved into one of its main components. The experience of Turquality contributed crucial insight to whole progress and together with other projects, it constituted the spine of the project.

First steps were taken before 2004, in order to provide adequate legal regulations and substructure for the forthcoming project. As the first foundation stones were laid, by the date 23 November 2004, the project was officially put into practice. Its main aim was to "create 10 global brands in 10 years". In order to achieve this, all-round support including government subsidiaries and incentives was planned to be provided for the participant brands.

The 2023 vision of Turkey shaped the outlines of the Turquality project. The primary goals of the project were to contribute to branding process of Turkish companies in the global market in accordance with 2023 vision, provide financial support, consultancy, human resources, information, intelligence, incentives and advertising support to the companies promising potential of becoming global Turkish brands. To accomplish the goals, two teams were formed with collaboration of Ministry of Economy, Turkish Exporters' Assembly and Union of Exporters; and these teams were named Turquality Workshop Group and Turquality Secretariat, respectively. The Turquality Workshop Group was responsible of determining the main strategy.

Türk Eximbank is one of the main supporters of Turquality programme. In order to serve branding process of the Turquality participants, Eximbank has created a special financial instrument, "Brand Credit". Eximbank's General Manager Hayrettin Kaplan stated "We will continue our support to Turkish exporters in accordance with Turkey's new motto: Discover the Potential. This new Turkey brand is undoubtedly motivating the companies to create global brands and strengthen the existing ones' standing."

At the beginning, textile and ready-to-wear clothing sector was thought to be suitable to start with as pilot. During the selection of firms to-be-certificated, the necessity of a professional consultancy arose, thus a deal with Werner International as the official consultant of the program was signed. After the inspection and evaluation process of 15 candidate firms, first strategic planning meeting was held between 30 June – 1 July 2005. The other steps followed the first meeting in quick pace. Following the formation of the strategic plan, the Road Map of Branding was drawn and decisions were made to have other sectors included in.

As the project grew wider and confident, companies from various sectors applied to benefit from the support and dynamism Turquality project offers them. These companies were required to meet some prerequisites, and international consultancy company Deloitte was chosen as the Management Consultant.

The incentives and subsidiaries offered by Turquality project reached to an enormous level. Besides financial support, Turquality provided professional insight and guidance for companies who were determined to evolve into worldwide brands; and this professional know-how reinforcement played a more important role than financial support.

Turquality has a two dimensional effect, as it contributes to the brand value of companies individually it also promotes Turkey's brand by improving brand awareness and creating a spectrum of high quality products. Each brand that takes part in the project increases the influence of Turquality in abroad markets, thus Turquality becomes more of a competitive advantage for exporters. This synergetic progress provides a sustainable brand management environment which has undoubtedly a vital part en route to 2023 goals.

In the end, Turquality has contributed intensely to the branding process in the new era of Turkey. This contribution, experience and insight undoubtedly strengthens the new Turkey logo and slogan, as Turquality was also an element of the potential to be discovered emphasized by the logo. Mehmet Büyükekþi, President of Turkish Exporters' Assembly, underscored this during ceremony of certificate after 11th term of "Manager Development Program" of Turquality which was held on 17th October: "Turquality encourages and support our companies to turn into renowned brands. In this scope, Turquality will contribute much to the potential that our logo, "Turkey: Discover the Potential" emphasizes.

Conclusively, the new Turkish brand is the Turkey redefining and rearranging itself with all its components. It is the outcome of a transformation covering all essentials of Turkey and recomposition of these essentials en route to 2023. Turkey did not come up with a brand, instead, it actually came up with an offering, an invitation: "Discover the Potential."

Turquality trademark has quickly been regarded as a symbol of confidence and high quality. It created new competitive brands while extenteding the reach of the existing ones.